Introduction to Flickr

Description & Key Functionality:
Flickr is an online photo management and sharing application on an online community platform. It was one of the first Web 2.0 applications and it is still going strong, hosting over 20 billion images in their database and 10 million image groups. The site’s popularity is heavily due to the organization tools and the ability to tag and browse photos by social classifications. Users can choose to share photos with the general public or keep them private.

See what Milestone Inc has been up to on Flickr.

There are three basic functions to Flickr:

• Free online image hosting
• Photo sharing through peer-to-peer networking
• Finding like-minded people in the photo groups

Users can upload their digital images from their desktop to organize their photos in a centralized location and then choose to share them with the world.

Why Use Photo Sharing Tools?

Learn more about social media best practices, including social images.

Benefits of Using Flickr

1. Organization – Images are organized by tags, sets, and groups. Flickr users can find images associated with the topic of their interest (such as a location name) through these forms of metadata.
2. Sharing – Photos can be shared with millions of users and targeted groups. Groups are people with common interests such as food, pets, events, destinations, activities or events, etc. If a topic of your passion is not found, you can start and create your own group.
3. Control – Photos can be stored as public or private.
4. Interaction – User friendly and compatible with various platforms and browsers. Flickr partners with third parties to offer streamlined services.
5. Increase Web Presence – Online photos are easily distributed. Flickr profiles often show up in organic search and do add to organic relevancy. You can also get some relevant traffic if uploaded pictures are tagged with the most desirable and relevant keywords.

How to Set Up an Account on Flickr

1. Go to www.flickr.com
2. Create a Flickr ID if you do not already have one.

3. Click on Upload Photos

4. Click on Step 1: Choose Photo and choose the path. You can select multiple pictures at a time.
5. Select Public for the privacy setting (if you choose to share your photos with everyone on the web) and then click Updload.

6. Click on Describe Your Photos

7. Now add the Tile, Description, and Tag

• Title: Include the property name and location• Description: Describe the PHOTO with location based keywords.
• Tag: insert main keywords. Make sure that keywords are in quote brackets if there are multiple words. (e.g. “Bay Area” or “Silicon Valley”)

8. Click Save This Batch

9. Click on the Photo that you just uploaded

10. Go to Place this photo on a map

11. You have successfully uploaded a photo on Flickr!

Use Flickr For Your Promotions

Flickr is a great tool to gain online publicity for your business when used correctly. Keep in mind that Flickr can ban your account for posting photos specifically for the purpose of advertising. Here is how to be a smart contributor to the Flickr community:

1.) Include the company logo with a brief introduction about your organization on your account profile.
2.) Use your website URL as your profile screen name
3.) Each photo uploaded to your photo stream can be optimized to the maximum by including your company name and URL.
4.) Link from your website to your Flickr photo stream. Add a Flickr Badge.
5.) Join interest groups to share your photos with a targeted audience. This increases your photos being found for certain keywords

Conclusion:

Flickr is an excellent social media channel to share your photos online and a tool to market your business. It is an effective avenue for spreading the word about your products and/or services. Avoid any type of sales pitch and respect the Flickr community. The key to success with Flickr is to be a responsible user that actively participates in groups and discussion boards.